Gas lighter



July 27, 1965 Filed May 22, 1963l H. L. R. GENOUD GAS LIGHTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sha July 27, 1965 Filed May 22, 1965 H. L. R. GENOUD GAS LIGHTER 1an l( 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 30 ifa United States Patent O 3,196,641 GAS LIGHTER Henri Louis Raymond Genoud, Lyon, France, assignor to Etablissements Genoud 8L Cie., a company of France Filed May 22, 1963, Ser. No. 282,323 Claims priority, application France, Jan. 8, 1963, 43,197, Patent 1,352,928 4 Claims. (Cl. 67-7.1)

The present invention relates to lighters of the type ernploying replacement containers having a supply of fuel.

The present invention has for an object to provide improvements in the general structure and in the manner of assembling the different parts forming a gas lighter, said structure and assembly leading to an arrangement which may be executed in a particularly easy and economical manner, while allowing a Very easy replacement of the gas container.

According to the invention, the lighter includes a body constituted by an elongated U-shaped member, the web of which engages a side of the gas contained which is fitted between the flanges of said U-shaped member, while the stem carrying the gas-controlling valve is allowed to project above the container and the upper ange of the U-shaped member the web of the U-shaped member forms furthermore a housing for the Hint-carrying tube and serves also as a support both for the spindle of the knurled wheel and for the pivotal spindle carrying the control lever. This arrangement is associated with a casing or sheath enclosing partly the container laterally and fitted over said U-shaped member, said sheath being adapted to slide over the sides of the web of the latter, while leaving the outer surface of the web visible.

According to a preferred embodiment, the above-mentioned elongated U-shaped member is made of molded plastic material. Furthermore, the sheath is locked advantageously on the U-shaped member by the vertical flange of a square-shaped elastic tongue, the horizontal flange of which is held fast by the head of the screw provided for adjusting the spring urging the flint towards the knurled flint wheel. Said tongue is advantageously also made of plastic material.

The present invention will be readily understood from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings given solely by way of example and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows the main body or U-shaped member in an elevational medial sectional View,

FIG. 2 is an end view of a knob-controlling lever,

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the lever in FIG. Zitaken along the line III-III,

FIG. 4 is a side view of a locking tongue,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a lighter sheath taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 6,

FIG. 6 is a view of the Sheath as seen from the rear,

FIG. 7 illustrates, on a larger scale, and in longitudinal sectional View the lighter in its assembled condition,

FIG. 8 is a view of a lighter as seen from the rear,

FIG. 9 is a view from above of said lighter, and

FIG. 10 is a horizontal cross-section of the lighter taken along the line lil-10 of FIG. 7.

The main body (FIG. 1) of the lighter is constituted by a U-shaped member of which the web is shown at 1, while the lower and upper flanges are shown at 2 and 3. The flange 3 is notched so that its outer end forms a fork with two tines 3a extending away from the web.

In registry with the root of said flange 3, the web 1 is provided with a vertical extension constituted by two lateral lugs 5 which are provided with aligned openings 6. The web 1 is provided to the front of said lugs with two aligned slots 7 opening upwardly and constituting bearing surfaces.

The web 1 of the U-shaped member is provided with a longitudinal channel 8 extending throughout said web. The lower end of said channel is tapped as shown at 9, while its upper end encloses a metal flint-carrying tube 10. The web 1 of the lighter body is provided furthermore, on its inner surface, with a rib 11, while its outer surface is provided with two notches of which one is located at 12 at the upper end of the web and the other notch 13 is provided at its lower end and is deeper in its upper section 13a.

Lastly, the lower ange 2 of the body of the U-shaped member is provided with a recessed section 14 registering with the lower end of the lower notch 13 in the web. Said lower ange 2 is provided furthermore with a terminal ledge 15. The valve-controlling lever 17-18 (FIGS. 2 and 3)- is square-shaped and its vertical arm 17 is tted in the upper notch 12 of the web 1, while its horizontal arm 18 is longitudinally notched so as to form a fork with two tines 18a. Said arm 18 carries two lateral studs 19 engaging the open bearings 7 so as to be capable of freely rocking therein. An opening 20 in said arm 18 allows free passage of the flint-carrying tube in the channel 18 through said arm. The lever arm 17 is provided with an outer notched section 17a forming a bearing surface for the users finger which is to pivotally rock the lever.

The locking member illustrated in FIG. 4 is constituted by a square-shaped tongue and its horizontal ange 22 is provided with perforation 23. When the locking tongue is inserted in the lower notch 13 of the web, the perfora-` tion 23 is in registry with the recess 14 in the flange 2. Said flange 24 is provided also with two lateral studs 25, as illustrated in FIG. 8.

The U-shaped member 1, 2, 3 carries furthermore a knurled wheel 27 associated with a driving member 28 and carried therewith by a spindle 29 revolvably mounted in the openings 6 of the lugs 5, while, on the other hand, a flint 30 contained in the tube 10 is urged towards the wheel 27 by means of conventional flint-urging spring 31 housed inside the channel 8 formed in the web 1; the screw 32 screwed into the tapped end of said channel engages said spring while being accommodated in the recess 14 of the flange 22 of the locking member which is thus held in position.

The gas lighter includes furthermore a casing or sheath 33 constituted by a metal member having a U-shaped cross-section (FIGS. 9 and 10) provided with two inturned terminal flanges 34 which are notched at 34a (FIGS. 5 and 8).

Lastly, the lighter includes a container 35 containing a liquefied gas under pressure, preferably butane or propane.

Said container 35 is cylindrical and includes at its upper end a projection 35a above which the upper end of the hollow rod 36 extends, which rod carries the gas-controlling valve and over which is fitted a tubular rivet 37.

The assembly of such a lighter with such a container 35 is an easy matter and is accomplished as follows:

The container is introduced between the flanges 2 and 3 of the lighter body so as to urge it transversely against the rib 11 on the web and, in the position thus assumed by the container, the tines 3a of the upper ange 3 extend to either side of the projection 35a on the container, provided, on the other hand, the forked section 18a of the lever is inserted underneath the tubular rivet 37 to either side of the rod 36.

The sheath 33 is then urged over the upper end of the lighter and caused to slide downwardly with its flanges 34 engaging the vertical flange 24 of the locking member, so as to bend said flange inwardly and make it recede within the deeper section 13a of the notch 13 with the result that the lateral studs 25 on the locking member engage the inner sides of the anges 34 of said sheath.

When the sheath has abutted against the terminal ledge 15 of the lower ange 2, it is locked in position ,since the notches 34a in the flanges 34 register with the studs 2S which engage consequently in said notches by reason of the elasticity of the ange 24, carrying said studs.

When the container 35 is exhausted, its removal is performed just as simply and as speedily through the same operations described above executed in reverse sequence.

As specilied hereinbefore, the main body or U-shaped member l, 2, 3, the lever 17, i8 and the locking member 22, 24 may advantageously be made of molded plastic material.

Lastly, it is obvious that, as mentioned hereinabove, the invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described hereinabove by way of example and it covers, in contradistinction, all the modifications thereof falling within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. A gas lighter comprising a U-shaped body of molded plastic material including an elongated vertical web having a longitudinal channel, an upper perforated flange, and a lower flange, a fuel container itted between the two flanges of the body and engaging the web of the body, valve means on and closing the container and including a stem projecting upwardly through the perforation in the upper flange of the body, a knurled wheel revolvably carried by the body in horizontal registry with the location of the valve means, a valve controlling lever pivotally carried by the body and extending underneath the wheel, means for supporting a llint within the web of the body registering with the wheel and including a spring in said channel in the body of the web, and a screw screwed into the web of the body at an end remote from the flint, a U-shaped sheath slidingly fitted over the container and including ilanges which engage the web of said U-shaped body, and a locking member of molded plastic material including perpendicular anges, one lange detachably holding the flanges of the sheath over the web of the body and the other flange secured between the screw head and the body. Y

2. A lighter as claimed in claim l, wherein said container is cylindrical, the sheath having a curved portion in contact with the container along a surface thereof facing away from the web of the U-shaped body, said flanges of the sheath extending towards said web, the ends of the latter flanges being inturned and engaging the web.

3. A gas lighter comprising a U-shaped body includ- Ving a vertical web and two horizontal flanges, said web having a vertical channel extending therein, said body having a notch extending partially in the web and partially in the lower of the flanges of the body, a fuel container including a valve stem projecting therefrom, the upper of the flanges of the body having a perforation through which the projects the valve stem on the container, a valve control lever pivotally supported on said body and in engagement with the valve stem for releasing fuel from the container, a flint wheel revolvably supported on the body, means for supporting a flint within the channel in the web in Contact with said wheel, said valve control lever being supported below said wheel which is proximate the valve stem, a U-shaped sheath enclosing the container and including a pair of ilanges having inturned ends which engage the web of said body, and a locking member secured to said body by the means which supports the flint within the channel in the body, said locking member including anges which extend perpendicular to one another and respectively extend in the notch in the web and lower frange, the flange of the locking member which extends in the notch in the web including lateral studs in detachable engagement with corresponding notches provided in the U-shaped sheath to secure the sheath to said body, the flange extending in the notch in the liange of the U-shaped body being secured thereto by the means supporting the flint while the ange extending in the notch in the web is free therein and can be deflected in said notch, the latter said notch having a suicient depth to enable the liange of the locking member therein to be deflected suiciently to free the studs from engagement with the notches in the U- shaped sheath whereby the latter can be removed from the body.

4. A ygas lighter comprising a U-shaped body including a vertical webV and two horizontal flanges, said web having a vertical channel extending therein, said body having a notch extending partially in the web and partially in the lower of the flanges, a fuel container supported between the flanges of the body, said fuel container including a valve stem projecting therefrom, the

. upper of the flanges of the body having a perforation through which projects the valve stern on the container, a valve control lever pivotally supported on said body and in engagement with the Valve stern for releasing fuel from the container, a flint wheel revolvably supported on the body, means for supporting aflint within the channel in the web in contact with said wheel, Ysaid valve control lever being supported below said wheel which is proximate the valve stem, a U-shape sheath enclosing the container and including a pair of flanges having inturned ends which engage the web of said body, and a locking member secured to said body by the means which supports the liint within the channel in the body, said locking member including flanges which extend in the notch in the web and lower ilange, the liange of the locking member which extends in the notch in the web being in engagement with the U-shaped sheath to secure the same to said body.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,556,853 6/51 Shanks 67-7.1 2,580,499 1/52 Adams 67-7.1 3,122,907 3/ 64 Gilberton 67-7.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 185,150 3/56 Austria. t

5 78,7 19 7/46 Great Britain.

5 81,295 10/46 Great Britain. 1,043,719 6/53 France.

EDWARD J. MTCHAEL, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Examiner. 

1. A GAS LIGHTER COMPRISING A U-SHAPED BODY OF MOLDED PLASTIC MATERIAL INCLUDING AN ELONGATED VERTICAL WEB HAVING A LONGITUDINAL CHANNEL, AN UPPER PERFORATED FLANGE, AND A LOWER FLANGE, A FUEL CONTAINER FITTED BETWEEN THE TWO FLANGES OF THE BODY AND ENGAGING THE WEB OF THE BODY, VALVE MEANS ON AND CLOSING THE CONTAINER AND INCLUDING A STEM PROJECTING UPWARDLY THROUGH THE PERFORATION IN THE UPPER FLANGE OF THE BODY, A KNURLED WHEEL REVOLVABLY CARRIED BY THE BODY IN HORIZONTAL REGISTRY WITH THE LOCATION OF THE VALVE MEANS A VALVE CONTROLLING LEVER PIVOTALLY CARRIED BY THE BODY AND EXTENDING UNDERNEATH THE WHEEL, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A FLINT WITHIN THE WEB OF THE BODY REGISTERING WITH THE WHEEL AND INCLUDING A SPRING IN SAID CHANNEL IN THE BODY OF THE WEB, AND A SCREW SCREWED INTO THE WEB OF THE BODY AT AN END REMOTE FROM THE FLINT, A U-SHAPED SHEATH SLIDINGLY FITTED OVER THE CONTAINER AND INCLUDING FLANGES WHICH ENGAGE THE WEB OF SAID U-SHAPED BODY, AND A LOCKING MEMBER OF MOLDED PLASTIC MATERIAL INCLUDING PERPENDICULAR FLANGES, ONE FLANGE DETACHABLY HOLDING THE FLANGES OF THE SHEATH OVER THE WEB OF THE BODY AND THE OTHER FLANGE SECURED BETWEEN THE SCREW HEAD AND THE BODY. 